Browsed byTag: sewing

I had crafted a striped skirt previously, and I wanted to create a matching purse, which is small enought to be considered elegant, but large enough for a pair of replacement shoes. So I decided to create a coffin shaped piece.

I collected the remnant materials from the stripy skirt (approx thirty centimetre), some strong, black fabric from a previous project (approx half metre), and all the leftover lace I could find. Also, I used some decoration materials at the bottom of my sewing box: blue ribbon and a pentagram pedant; and two pieces of cardboard to harden the purse’s lids. Retrospectively, I suggest using a sheet of plastic pad instead of cardboard, since that’s waterproof and more flexible, so it won’t break like cardboard does.

In making this purse I was inspired by the Restyle handbag collection.

The first step is to cut the coffin shape of the cardboards/plastic pads, and cut the same shape three times from the black fabric, anf once from the striped one.

Now we have to sew together two of the black coffin shapes right side facing, leaving a small opening to turn it inside out.

After turning it inside out tuck in the cardboard/plastic pad, and close the gap with hand sewing – this’ll be the back part of the purse.

I placed the decoration upot the stryped fabric to see how it looks like. Then I sewed the lace on, we’ll add the ribbon and the pedant later.

I sewed the folded line of the lace to the stripy fabric, and pinned the outter line. Then I turned it over and sewed together with the remaining black coffin shape right side facing, leaving a small gap to turn it inside out. Ths the outter lining of the lace is secured within the layers.

This picture down here shows the placment of the pieces before sewing them together:

Now it’s time to tuck inside the cardboard/plastic pad through the gap. This is the front part of the purse.

Tea time. We deserve it.

The next step is about the side of the purse. The wider the material you use, the larger the purse will be. I chose a ten centimeter wide piece of fabric, and sewed between the front and the back part with hand. If you’d prefer to sew it with the machine, you have to do this step before inserting the cardboards/plastic pads.

The next picture shows the side piece attached to the back of the purse only. I inserted a zipper to close it, but you can also use buttons or just leave the top open.

Finally we have to attach the decoration pedant, ribbon, or whatever you like. As for the handles, you can attach wide ribbons, or rings that can hold straps.

Ths is the final purse, fully loaded with my stuff. As you see, the cardboard I used already started to bend over the weight of the load, that’s why I suggest plastic.

I have created this vest for my fiancée to the I. National Goth Con in 2014. This tutorial is for men’s vest, because the sewing pattern lacks the seams for fitting a female chest’s curves; but it can easily be transformed into a female west if you add some additional breast seams.

[pullquote]I have created this vest for my fiancé to the I. National Goth Con in 2014.[/pullquote]

(Note: this was the very first post that I have ever written in my life ever. Originally it was published two blogs ago. It’s not an excuse to it’s quality, I just wanted to tell you.)

The textiles are from a cheap local textile store, so unfortunately they aren’t the best quality. I’ve started DIY-ing ’cause I’m broke in the first place, but one day I’d love to create this pattern from black and crimson red silk. The black textile here is cotton canvas, and the red fabrik is lining. We’ll need approximately half metre from each.

Finding the perfect sewing pattern is hard, so here I’ll show you the easiest and cheapest way to get nice and fitting pattern. First, you have to take a vest or a tricot that’s fitting the man, and draw it’s outline on the black fabric – that’ll be the back of the vest. Now fold the tricot in half, draw it’s outline on the fabric, and repeat the same inversely, as seen on the picture below – this’ll be the front part of the vest. You have to draw these outlines on the linen fabric also, and cut them.

I warn you: DO NOT use old, blunt scissors that were originally meant to cut paper, that you haven’t used since elementary school; it’ll destroy the fabric rather that cut it. You’d better use tailor scissors, or at least really sharp ones.

Now we have to sew together the parts. I’ve started with the front parts, I put them together with their right side facing. I sew the lines with a sewing machine, except for the line where it’s connecting to the back part, which means I had to do the neckline and the armhole too. This is the tricky part, because if you sew it together just like that, it’l be puffy after turning it inside out. So to avoid this, we have to cut small triangles from the fabric alongside the neckline and the armholes, as shown below.

For the next step we have to sew together the neckline and the armhole of the back part, with right side facing. After that turn the front pieces inside out, and tuck it inside the back part (that is still reversed). Now sew the shoulder and side seams together, and some part of the bottom too, leaving olny that much space so we can turn the whole thing inside out again.

After turning it inside out it should look like a vest, just like in this pic down here. We have to finish the bottom line with hand sewing

This whole turning inside-out-inside-and-out-again happened in order to hide the seams. If you observe cartefully now all the seams are inside the piece, apart from the small line at the bottom.

The only thing left to do now is the decoration. As the title says, I chose to attach some strapes and buckles on the front, and a single buckle at te back, to fit better.